I have speculated on how groups of law departments might share confidential evaluations they make of law firms (See my post of May 14, 2006.). Multi-source data would enable contributor departments to manage their external costs more effectively. What are some metrics-based conclusions general counsel might draw from the larger collection of data?
For common services, law departments could compare average burn rates (See my posts of Aug. 31, 2005: litigation burn rates; and Feb. 20, 2006: burn-rate calculations.).
Law departments could surface violations of discount agreements or most-favored client terms (See my posts of Oct. 30, 2005 and Nov. 21, 2005: most-favored-nation terms; Nov. 13, 2006: hourly rates only; Jan. 25, 2006: least-favored terms; and Jan. 20, 2008: my article on them.).